


A Light in the Fog

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Following
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Community: 1_million_words, F/M, Het, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-12
Updated: 2014-05-12
Packaged: 2018-01-24 12:52:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1605857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When they return from Dutchess County, Mike and Debra discuss their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Light in the Fog

**Author's Note:**

> For the weekend challenge at 1_million_words. Theme was One Hit Wonders, I pulled "What I Am" by Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians.

"Can we talk?"

Debra bites back a sigh when she hears Mike's voice behind her because the last thing she wants to do right now is talk to anyone.  It was a long journey back from Dutchess County, the twin tastes of failure and memory like bitter ashes in her mouth and all she wants to do is shower for an hour and sleep for a week, neither of which is going to happen. Not when she has to get back to the command centre and interrogate Joe Carroll, certainly not when she has to placate the FBI brass about another snafu. 

She turns her head, all ready to tell him no. Then she looks into his eyes and what she sees there has her sighing, aloud this time. "Come in," she says, holding her door open for him. 

Dropping her go bag on the floor, she heads for the bed and sits to unlace her boots. She concentrates on the laces, doesn't look up when his bag thuds beside hers, when the bed gives as he sits down beside her. 

"I'm sorry," is his opening salvo and that makes her look up. 

"For what?" She's running through the events of Dutchess County, everything that's gone on in the few days before that so his next words surprise her again. 

"What I said to you... The last time we talked." 

Debra blinks, because they'd agreed, in a snatched two minute conversation at the prison on her first day, not to mention that here. "Mike..." she begins, but now he's started, he doesn't appear to want to stop. 

"I was wrong, ok? I was an idiot." He shakes his head, frustration evident in every syllable. "I've always know there were things you kept back, things you found it hard to talk about... and I was wrong to try to push you on that. And I'm sorry."

He's so obviously sincere that Debra can hardly look at him. "What brought this on?" she hears herself ask.

Mike chuckles without humour.  "Remember what you said to me? 'What I am is what I am'? I got  so mad when you said that... like I wasn't worth changing for." Her jaw drops slightly because she hadn't meant that at all and he holds up a hand. "I know... I know. Now, I know." He runs a hand through his hair. "This case... no-one is what they seem. I got shot by a deputy who I thought was on our side, it's like Joe's followers are hiding everywhere... It just made me realise... I know who you are, Deb. I know who you are now. I miss who you are now."

There's a sheen to his eyes that brings a lump to Debra's throat. "I miss you too," she admits quietly. 

Mike reaches over, takes her hand in his, entwines their fingers together. The warmth of his skin, the feel of his palm in hers is so familiar, so comforting that Debra instantly feels herself relaxing, the memories of Dutchess County starting to fade. "I know this isn't the right time, or place," Mike says after a moment, "but I'd like to take you out to dinner when all this is over... try again. If you'd like that."

A strange sensation crosses Debra's lips; it takes a second to realise she's smiling. "I'd like that," she tells him and then he is smiling too, a beam of light through the fog of this place, this case. 

Pulling her towards him, he wraps her in his arms and she closes her eyes, feeling for the first time in a long time like she's completely safe. 


End file.
